Apparatus for treating oils



Nov. 6, 1928.

I y c. P, musas APPARATUS vFOR TREATING OILS @ned Jugy 9, 191? A 4 sheets-sheet 1. A u "",s....v.. ,z-. 'z Nv www? Nov. 6, 192. v C. P. DUBBS APPARATUS FOR TREAMNG oILs Filed July 9' 1917 Nam 5, 92

., V C. P. BUSES APPARATUS Fon TREATING oILs v4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July S, 1917 Nov. 6, R923.

- c. P. DUBBS APPARATUS FOR TREATING oILs Filed July 9., 1917 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

{UNIT-ED STATES ra'reN'roFF-ice.

CARBON DTT-BBB, OF WILMETITE, IIITNOIS, .ASSIGNOR- TO UNIVERSAL 011:' BBODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLDSTOIS, A CORPORATIONF SOUTH DAKOTA Arraaarus ron 'marianne orte."

' appueamn area-amy e, 1917. seran No. masas.

This application is a'continuation'inart of my application Ser. No. 162,233, ed A ril 16, 1917.

his application refers more particularly to -an apparatus for converting relatively heavy hydrocarbons-into lighter hydrocarbons.

Among its salient objects are to provide .an apparatus for carrying out a process 1n which the oil is positively circulated through the heated zone so as to subject it to the actlon of uniform heating for a maximum `period of time, while, at'the same time, permitting the vapors to pass -freely to the condenser; to

provide an apparatus in which the danger due to local overheating arising from carbon deposits in the apparatus is obviated by causing the carbon to be precipitated and deposited at points remote from and outside of the heated zone of the combustion gases; to

provide an apparatus for carrying out a prooess which can be run tether as a continuous process or as a batch process and if desired` in .the same apparatus; to provide an apparatus in which a relatively r-apidcirculation of the oil through the heating zone is obtained; toprovide` an apparatus in which the partially converted vapors are condensed and returned to the heating zone; to provide an :apparatus in which the incoming fresh oil is preferably preheated by means of the outgoing vapors acting in effect as a heat 1nterchanger; to provide a novel apparatus for carrying'out the improved process and in general to provide an improved apparatus of the character referred to. l In the drawings: l

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus suitable for carrying out the process.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the still on an enlarged scale with parts broken away and shown in section to bring out details of construction. ,45 Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the condenser 'on an enlarged scale, the view of the condenser being taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1 and also showing the receiv ing tank.I

. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the bulk supply drums and pipe connections.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end view of the construction shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings-1, 2, 3 and`4 designate the`supply drums whichl may be of any suitable number'and are preferably of the horizontal boiler type. 5 designates the furnace of. any suitable construction, within which is mounted the still proper designated as a whole 6. vThis still or retort con- 60 sists of acylindrical upper drum 7. anda pair fof lower drums 8 and 9, the; upper and lower drums being connected by means of tubes 10, which are fitted in suitable heads in the drums in a well known; manner. Thetubes'- which 65 extend vinto the drum 8 are separated from the tubes leading to the-drum 9, by a lire arch 4 or'bridge wall 11. The arrangement is such that the gases of combustion from the lire box of the furnace 5 are compelled to pass'YO over 'the'bridge wall and down to' the bottom of the stack 12. The stack is controlled by suitable dempers 13. The lower., drums 8 and 9 are provided with hand holeplates 14, so that they can be cleaned out and the upper drum 7 is providedwith a similar hand hole plate 15. The upper drum 7 is also provided with a pressure gauge 16,' liquid gauge 17, and safety valve 18. On the upper end of the drum 7 is mounted a coml0 bined reflux condenser and heat interchanger 19. The member 19 consists of upperv and lower headers 2O and 21 connected by tubes 22, through which the vapors pass, the lower. header 21 being connectedby pipe 23 to the BI drum 7. The headers are surrounded with -a shell 24. The incoming oil to be treated is admitted tothe chamber 24 through the supply pipe 25 near the'lower end of thechamber and is taken out near the upper end of the chamber through pipe 26. The pipey 25 leads to a pump 27 which is connectedthrough pipe 28to any suitable source of supply such as an oil line or oil tank. The delivery pipe26 leads to the manifold 29, 95 which is connected by means of branch pipes" 30 to the front ends of the .supply 4drums 1, 2,- 3 and 4. Valves 31 and 81-are interposed in the feed line 26 and similarly the branch feed pipes 30 are eachprovided with a valve 32 so that any one or more of the drums can be cut out of the feed line.

10, then back'to the larger drums again,'the

oil is drawn from the bottom of the drums-- 1, l2, 3 and 4 by means of lines 42.` These lines lead into themanifold 41 which isl connected t0 the 'inlet ppe '74 of", the pump 11o-.

79, thereby causing a back 75, placed in the line at this point to obtain a positive and controllable' circulation oi" the oil. A valve72 is inserted in vtheline between the manifold 41 and the T connection and elliow at 7 3 which leads to the inlet 4pipe 74. From 'the pump 75 the oil is disisalso essential that valves 43, 72, 7 and 80 are open to allow a free circulation through the system, During this method of circulation, valve 82 is kept closed and valve 81 open and the oil supply is fed to the drums 1, 2, 3 and 4 through lines-26, 29 and 30 ns previously explained. l

If it is desired to cut out the larger drums 1, 2, 3 and 4 for any reason, it may be done in the following manner. By. means of the pump 75, the oil can be kept circulating through the drums 7 8 and 9 and the tubes 10 without passing through the largerdrums. This is arranged by closing 1valves 72 and 8() and allowing valves 77 and 78 to remain open. The oil. is then discharged from the pump through the lines 76, 83 and into drum 9, through tubes 10, into drum 8 and hack by means of lines' and 79 t0 the inlet of the pum If this method of circulation is used tie system can be arranged so that the oil Siliplied by pipe'26, instead of being put into the drums 1, 2, 3

and 4 can be run directly into drum '7 byv closing valve 81 and opening valve' 82.

When the process is operated as a oontinuous process, means must be provided for c'ontinuousl y removing the heavy residuiiin from the suppl drums 1, 2, 3 and 4. This is accoinplishe by means of the header 44, which is connected to the rear ends of the drums about midway their height by means of brunch pipes 45, controlled by valves 46, lI7 and 48. The object of having the triple sets of valves is that by shutting the valves 46 and 48 on any drum and opening the valve 47, on said drum, this drum is cut out and bypassed. By opening the 'valves 46 and 48 and closing the valve 47 the drum admitted into the series.

Alarge supply tank.

In certain instances, it' mayy be desirable to connect the supply tanks in series instead of in multiple so as to formin effect one This is accomplished as follows: 'The valves 43 inthe pipes 42 leading to drums 1, 2 and 3 are shut. The valve 43 in the pipe 42 leading to drum 4 is left open. Valves 46 and 47`on drum 4 macteo? are closed. Valve 48 on drum 4 is leftopen. Valves 46 and 48 on drums 2 and 3 are left onen while valves. 47 in drums 2 and 3 are closed. Valve 46 in drum 1 is left. openwhile valves 47 and 48 are closed.. The circulation is then as follows:

From drum 8 through lines 36, and 35, and manifold 34 to lines 37 and 33, thence into dx-um 1." Out through valve 46into manifold 44 and into drum 2,-t.hrough valve 48 out through valve 46 into manifold 44 an( into-drum 3 by means of valve 48, 'thence into drum 4 through valve 46, manifold 44 and valve 48. The oil is lthen drawn from the bottom of the drum 4'hy means of pipe 42, throughthe suctionpuinp intodrum 9.

Where the process is operated as a continu, ous-,one,.the ."clrums 1 and 2, 3 and' 4 are kept practically iull. To prevent the gas pocket which is usually formed in the drums, v.each 'is provided with an outlet 49, leading to manifold 50, each piIpe 49 having a valve v,

51. The manifold 50 eads to any suitable4 storage.

From the top of the header 20 of the reflux condenser, a pipe 52 leads to a water condenser 53, the latter being mounted in a suitable water tank 54. 'The coila'of the condenser 53 are so positioned as to have a. gradual incline downwardly tof'tlie receiving tank 55. Weten issupplied to the tank 54 by means of supply pipe 56 having av valve ,57.` The tank 54 also has a water overflow pipe- 58. In `the pipe 52 is interposed valve 59. The receiving tank 55 has a safety valve 60, pressure gauge 61, glass .liqli1iigauge 62', and as blowott pipe 63, contro by valve 64. he lower -end of the receiving tank 55 has a distillate discharge line 65,l

controlled by valve 66.- Preferably a water drawot 67 is provided having a valve 68. From the foregoing it will be seen that pressure can be maintained on both the still and condenser and regulated by means of valves 64 and 66.' At the starter the process, to get up initial pressure, the valve 59 may be close The reflux condenser is provided with pressure gauge 69 and the pipe 52 with a pyrometer 70. The supply `drums are also provided with liquid level gauges 71, to show the level of the liquid in the drums.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Oil, whether it be crude petroleum,

distillate .or residuuin is pumped into the back into the retort and be again subjected to the cracking action. The incoming crude oil acts as a condenser to return these heavier vapors to the retort. If the process is operated as a batch process the reflux condenser can either be used as an aerial condenser or it can be cooled in some other suitable manner. The unvaporized oil which passes through the retort is, of course, returned to the supply drums and again delivered to the retort and can be 'subjected to the heat of the cracking action. In practice this circulation takes place very rapidly so that the oil is subjected to vthinJ heating action for relatively prolonged .riods. The supply drums are preferably msulated and the circulation is -so rapid that the oil in passing from the lower end of the retort back to the drums is only vslightly cooled. The temperature and pressure varies with the character of the oil being treated. A temperature of from 650 F. to 1000 F. is suitable and a pressure of from 50 to 500 pounds to the square inch willY robably be ample; The oil can be circulate rapidly or slowly by merely regulating the speed of the pump.

l claim as my invention: y

1. 1n an apparatus for crackin I oil, a furnace having heating' ilues therein, substantially straight vertical heating pes extending through said heating ues, a supply tank, a connection between said heating pipes and tank, a'lquid forcing means and connections from said tank and heating pipes to 'said means. .4

2. An apparatus for cracking hydrocar'l bons comprising a tank for holding a body of oil, a furnace, a series of small vertical straight pipes in the furnace, means for forcing oil from the tank to the lower ends of said pipes" and return connections from the upper ends of the pipes tothe tank.

CARBON r. Dunes. 

